The present invention relates to sound absorbing and sound scattering techniques.
Acoustic members for scattering sounds are installed to preclude acoustic troubles, such as flatter echoes, in an acoustic space like a hall or theater. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2002-30744, for example, discloses an acoustic structure which includes a plurality of members each having a cavity extending in one direction and an opening portion communicating the cavity with an external space. Once sound waves of a sound enter the cavity, the sound is re-radiated through the opening portion, so that there can be achieved a sound scattering effect.
In a relatively small space, such as a living room of an ordinary house or music room, it is required to obtain an appropriate sound scattering effect and sound absorbing effect. If acoustic members for obtaining the sound scattering effect and acoustic members for obtaining the sound absorbing effect are separately provided in the space, however, these acoustic members would take up much of the space. Further, if a porous sound absorbing material, such as felt, is used to enhance the sound absorbing effect for low frequency bands, then the acoustic members would increase in dimension in the thickness direction, taking up even more of the space.